Constantine Mitsotakis

Nearly 2 million workers staged a 24-hour strike to protest government economic austerity measures, shutting down transportation and businesses. Rallies throughout the country denounced price increases and the abolition of inflation-linked wage increases for civil servants, measures adopted after Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis took office in April. He has been touring European capitals seeking investments for Greece's economic recovery.

Once again, the two grand dinosaurs of Greek political life are wrestling for leadership of a nation poised uncomfortably between modern Europe and divisive Balkan backwardness. In Greece's fourth national elections since 1989, Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis is an underdog against challenger Andreas Papandreou, a former Berkeley economics professor who led Greece for eight autocratic years with profligate Socialist policies and polished anti-American rhetoric.

President Bush and Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis marked "a new beginning of an old friendship," with Athens' new conservative leader appealing for U.S. help to prod Turkey to end the stalemate over Cyprus. Bush, in turn, renewed a U.S. request for extradition of a Palestinian wanted in the 1982 bombing of a Pan Am jet over Hawaii.

Troubled Greece, sick man of the prospering new Europe, is headed for a new round of political turmoil with an old cast of characters. Former Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, a sharp-tongued socialist, is maneuvering for a political comeback, warring with renewed vigor against conservative Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis, who drove him from office in 1990 amid charges of massive corruption during eight years of spendthrift rule.

President Christos Sartzetakis called caretaker Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, who is hospitalized with pneumonia, Friday and offered him a mandate to form a government after the conservative party failed to induce a Communist-led grouping into joining a coalition. Conservative leader Constantine Mitsotakis, who received the mandate Tuesday, said the Coalition of Left and Progress had rejected an offer of more than they had asked for, including the Ministries of Justice and the Interior.

Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou told Parliament today that Greece will not leave NATO and that he plans to renegotiate the presence of U.S. military bases in Greece. During a debate on national defense, Greece's Socialist prime minister said, "We are not pulling out of NATO for reasons of national security and because with such a move, war with Turkey might become inevitable, and not because we believe in a future clash between East and West."

The Bush Administration would dearly like to see Greece's Socialist government voted out of office this Sunday--but it's afraid to say so out loud. "I shouldn't be telling you this," a State Department official said, assuming a furtive look and dropping his voice--"but we'd love to see Papandreou go." Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou has been a thorn in Washington's side ever since he was first elected eight years ago. He has campaigned against Greece's membership in NATO, frequently charged U.S. interference in Greek affairs and promised to deprive the United States of its military bases in his country--without ever quite following through.

Drama in a historic vote of censure in the small hours of the morning. Pathos at a funeral in the afternoon rain. Such were the political signposts Thursday in a country on hold. Greece, the divided and unstable kin of a united and powerful Europe, is adrift, searching for a new course. An improbable government of conservatives and Communists, formed after no-winner June elections, announced Thursday that, as planned, it will resign next week to clear the way for new elections Nov. 5.

Conservative Greek Prime Minister-designate Tzannis Tzannetakis, a compromise choice in an unprecedented Communist-rightist agreement, began forming a new government Saturday dedicated to prosecuting outgoing socialist ministers. Tzannetakis, 62, was asked by President Christos Sartzetakis to form a Cabinet after a Communist alliance and the conservative New Democracy Party agreed to join forces and support a short-term "cleanup" government. The government will be announced and sworn in today.

Poised uncomfortably between touchy Arab neighbors and new-found friends in Washington, the young conservative government of Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis is turning a cautious new page in Greece's confrontation with terrorism. Mitsotakis, who has personal loathing for terrorists, has ordered a trial in Athens for Mohammed Rashid, a 40-year-old jailed Palestinian accused of the 1982 in-flight bombing of an American jetliner over the Pacific.

Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis reminded President Bush on Friday that Greece joined the international coalition against Iraq in the Persian Gulf War, although the fight "would exact a heavy toll on our hard-pressed economy," and tartly linked the contribution to Greece's bitter rivalry with Turkey over the division of Cyprus.

A conservative new broom sweeps busily through Greece these days, stirring hope, stress and controversy in the country that Europe left behind. After eight months in power, the government of Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis--Mr. Establishment--is firmly launched on an ambitious agenda of political and economic reform. Its goal is to change Greece's course after nearly eight years of free-spending, assertive socialism directed by former Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou--Mr. Autocrat.

Poised uncomfortably between touchy Arab neighbors and new-found friends in Washington, the young conservative government of Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis is turning a cautious new page in Greece's confrontation with terrorism. Mitsotakis, who has personal loathing for terrorists, has ordered a trial in Athens for Mohammed Rashid, a 40-year-old jailed Palestinian accused of the 1982 in-flight bombing of an American jetliner over the Pacific.

President Bush and Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis marked "a new beginning of an old friendship," with Athens' new conservative leader appealing for U.S. help to prod Turkey to end the stalemate over Cyprus. Bush, in turn, renewed a U.S. request for extradition of a Palestinian wanted in the 1982 bombing of a Pan Am jet over Hawaii.

Nearly 2 million workers staged a 24-hour strike to protest government economic austerity measures, shutting down transportation and businesses. Rallies throughout the country denounced price increases and the abolition of inflation-linked wage increases for civil servants, measures adopted after Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis took office in April. He has been touring European capitals seeking investments for Greece's economic recovery.

Greek conservatives returned triumphantly to political power Monday, promising broad economic reforms to roll back eight years of combative socialism and to repair strained relations with American and European allies. The Athens stock market jumped nearly 15% to record highs Monday when it became clear that conservative leader Constantine Mitsotakis would have a slender but emphatic absolute majority in the 300-seat Parliament.

Conservative leader Constantine Mitsotakis claimed victory early today in national elections, saying he will form a majority government to break a sapping political stalemate that has left Greece perilously adrift. Mitsotakis' right-of-center New Democracy Party easily outdistanced Socialist and Communist opponents in voting Sunday. However, it lacked an assured majority in the 300-seat Parliament when Mitsotakis addressed a 4 a.m. press conference.

Greek conservatives returned triumphantly to political power Monday, promising broad economic reforms to roll back eight years of combative socialism and to repair strained relations with American and European allies. The Athens stock market jumped nearly 15% to record highs Monday when it became clear that conservative leader Constantine Mitsotakis would have a slender but emphatic absolute majority in the 300-seat Parliament.

Conservative leader Constantine Mitsotakis claimed victory early today in national elections, saying he will form a majority government to break a sapping political stalemate that has left Greece perilously adrift. Mitsotakis' right-of-center New Democracy Party easily outdistanced Socialist and Communist opponents in voting Sunday. However, it lacked an assured majority in the 300-seat Parliament when Mitsotakis addressed a 4 a.m. press conference.

Drama in a historic vote of censure in the small hours of the morning. Pathos at a funeral in the afternoon rain. Such were the political signposts Thursday in a country on hold. Greece, the divided and unstable kin of a united and powerful Europe, is adrift, searching for a new course. An improbable government of conservatives and Communists, formed after no-winner June elections, announced Thursday that, as planned, it will resign next week to clear the way for new elections Nov. 5.